Toryu2020

Looks like your smith is Sugawara Kanenori. Made at age 84. May have to leave the rest to others…

Naze saita sakura ni Koma tsunagu Koma ga isameba hana ochiru

Luca thank you for the great article! Looking at my Tsuba it seems clear it is Kaga Yoshiro. You can see the telltale lines in person and you can almost see them in my photos…

Revisiting this thread as I just discovered Washida may be the source of my Tsuba.

David - sorry I cannot help with the auction question just want to send greetings from the Bay Area. -t

From the Urushi Kogei Jiten - Tagaysan Nuri ~ a type of kawari-nuri that brings out the wood grain with a finished look like Ironwood. Mokume-nuri - common in the middle-ages, red lacquer on top of black lacquer creating a woodgrain pattern. Mokume Arai dash-nuri - a type of sabi-nuri where the lacquer is manipulated by fingers, awls and spatula to create the wood grain. Sabi-nuri - urushi mixed with paper powder (Kami no ko) is then manipulated to build up patterns like Matsu-kawa and sakura-gawa...

From the interweb…

Look up the five sacred mountains of China

We shall strive to help you in your search! -t

Based on your PM you're on the right track. If you do see it then you have a very cool piece. -t

See the photo

Signature looks closest to 13th generation - I think you would still expect to see strong masame throughout even at this late date... -t

Well, pronounced masame throughout, especially at the tip.

Is there masame visible?

Nice site - easy interface - look forward to shopping here...